They said it in December

"A few simple habitat improvements and technological innovations could make life much more palatable for these (Haryana’s) women, the most important being the provision of sanitation." Ravinder Kaur in The Indian Express (December 15)

"The current status of learning across the country is in a situation of crisis. It requires bold and innovative approaches by the government and schools to overcome it." Azim Premji, chairman, Wipro Corporation

"Jihad is not about using lethal weapons because those who want to establish a better world don’t need such weapons." Dr. Ali Asghar Engineer, winner of the Right Livelihood Honorary Award, 2004

"Americans and Europeans are scared of Asia because Asians would take away all their jobs." London-based economist Lord Meghnad Desai (December 20)

"If I gave money to some Dalit women who asked for money from me because I have become the country’s railway minister, it does not amount to bribery and violation of model code of conduct." Lalu Prasad, Union minister for railways in a television interview

"The education system in most societies follows a theoretical model where the focus is on maximising memory. In these days where everything is on your computer hard drive, why memorise so much? This would enable kids to free their minds and think, thereby unleashing their creativity." Mel Levine, professor of pediatrics from Chapel Hill (US) in a Times of India interview (December 21)

"The message is simple: if children do not learn the 3Rs well, that defect flows into the workplace where it is far more expensive to correct." Subroto Bagchi, chief operating officer of MindTree Consulting, writing in Businessworld (December 27)

"Each one of us has the right to aspire for the best in life and as a nation we have the right to dream of a better life. For the world’s best schools, best hospitals, best roads and railways, best villages and cities, best laboratories and best factories." Prime minister Manmohan Singh in Times of India (December 26)

"If you don’t possess an education to speak of, there is nothing the India of the 21st century can offer you." C.Rammanohar Reddy in Outlook (January 10)